The gate is made of solid white weirwood with an old, pale, wrinkled face in the middle of it. When approached, the face asks who you are. If the speaker says the part of the Night’s Watch oath that starts with “I am the watcher on the walls…” the face’s mouth gapes open far enough so that someone can pass through.

Basically, someone put together a reading order for the 2 books which would allow you to roughly follow all of the story lines as they are happening, but also without spoiling certain events before you were supposed to know about them.

The wait between books strikes me as very similar to Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I was lucky enough that I didn't have to wait TOO long (I got into the series right around the time Book IV was released). So frustrating to wait and wait to see what happens.

shafnutz05 wrote:The wait between books strikes me as very similar to Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I was lucky enough that I didn't have to wait TOO long (I got into the series right around the time Book IV was released). So frustrating to wait and wait to see what happens.

It was nice for those of us who never heard of this series until th TV show, read books 1-4 and then book 5 came out for me right as I wrapped up Feast for Crows. Only then did I realize there are years between books and GoT was released when I was in high school.

shafnutz05 wrote:The wait between books strikes me as very similar to Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I was lucky enough that I didn't have to wait TOO long (I got into the series right around the time Book IV was released). So frustrating to wait and wait to see what happens.

I'm so glad that I didn't start reading until book V was almost published. the 7 years between books III and IV would have killed me.

Decided to rewatch the last 2 episodes tonight. I had been rewatching each previous episode prior to the next, but couldn't bring myself to relive the Red Wedding so soon so I skipped it last week.

I enjoyed the finale a lot more the second time through. Dare I say, this was actually quite a good episode... it's main faults are that 1) it immediately followed the Red Wedding and 2) it was the season finale. As a stand alone episode, I thought it was pretty enjoyable.

The initial shock of TRW is gone, but it doesn't make it much easier to watch. I don't expect it to affect my sleep this time around. A great episode... but the content makes it painful to watch. Blackwater is still definitely my favorite episode, but The Rains of Castamere is right up there.

I feel like the last thing I would do is name my child after a character in a series that is not complete. Who the hell knows what George R. R. Martin is going to do with Dany. Also, its funny that they are naming their kids after the title "Khaleesi" instead of Daenerys, her actual name.

I'm confused with a Dance of Dragons, I'm seeing it in 2 parts and then I'm seeing 1 book. Do I read the 2 parts? or is the 1 book I'm seeing cover everything? I guess what I'm getting at is, what do I have to read to get the complete experience?

I think what you are referring to is that book 4 (Feast for Crows) and book 5 (Dance with Dragons) occurs at the same time in the story timeline. It is possible to read a chapter from one book, and then a chapter or two in the other book, and the events will run sequentially.

Martin intended to write one book, but decided to split it in two because it was taking too long.

There are websites that have reconstructed the two books into one volume if you want to read it that way - i.e. read chapters 1-3 in Feast for Crows, then chapter 1-2 in Dance with Dragons, for instance.

You could read it that way (and I might just do that on my second reading), but I would read them sequentially, as they were printed.

Someone compiled the 2 books into a single volume following that format. Search for "A Ball of Beasts" if you are interested. I downloaded the mobile version so I have it on my phone. I read through the first few chapters and it is interesting how it all seems to fit together better... so far anyway.

I don't know if it's better to read them in order or this way, tbh... you'll have to make that call. Probably easier to do if you d/l the combined stories. I don't think I would want to flip between the 2 books constantly.

I'm about 360 pages into Clash of Kings. It pretty crazy how similar the first book was with the first season. It seems like they cut some things out of the second season.

Spoiler:

In the series, Sansa seems really dumb and lovestruck with Joffrey up until Margery comes. I don't know if it was bad acting but I never got the sense that she despised Joffrey. In the book, it's much clearer that she starts hating him after Ned is beheaded. Maybe I'm just forgetting bc I haven't watched the second season in a while.

Also, Theon betraying the Starks seems to come out of nowhere. In the book, you get little hints that he may not be totally trustworthy.

WDWBurghGooner wrote:I'm about 360 pages into Clash of Kings. It pretty crazy how similar the first book was with the first season. It seems like they cut some things out of the second season.

Spoiler:

In the series, Sansa seems really dumb and lovestruck with Joffrey up until Margery comes. I don't know if it was bad acting but I never got the sense that she despised Joffrey. In the book, it's much clearer that she starts hating him after Ned is beheaded. Maybe I'm just forgetting bc I haven't watched the second season in a while.

Also, Theon betraying the Starks seems to come out of nowhere. In the book, you get little hints that he may not be totally trustworthy.

Yeah, they start to stray more from the book in Season 2 and 3. I understand why they do it at times, but frankly, a lot of the weakest moments on the show for me are when they have deviated greatly from the source. Not that this can't be pulled off, it's jsut that they haven't done it well... particularly how they handled most of the Daenerys story line in season 2.

To address your spoiler...

Spoiler:

I wouldn't say that Sansa is still love struck during season 2... it's more of a self preservation act. She knows Joffrey is a monster, but she knows if she shows any defiance whatsoever, she could wind up dead.

And yeah, I don't think they really gave the Theon story enough time to develop... but this is just one of many instances where I felt they did a better job of balancing the story lines during season 3.